Overview

Lithium
is a naturally occurring trace element that is found in water,
soil and a number of fruits, vegetables and other plants. In the
early 1950s, psychologists discovered that very large doses of
one form of lithium could help control and/or prevent episodes
of mania that occur in bipolar disorder. Those doses, in
the range of 100 to 1800 mgs daily, have been associated with
severe side effects and carry the danger of toxicity. Much of
the information that you’ll find on the internet – and in other
medical literature – assumes dosages of lithium carbonate or
another form of lithium at those clinical/therapeutic levels
rather than at the levels at which lithium is often found in
nature.

Other
research has shown, however, that minute amounts of lithium are
a vital part of a healthy diet. Many nutrition and health
experts believe that daily consumption of up to 2 mgs of lithium
may be necessary for a number of important cellular
interactions. At those levels, lithium seems to carry no
risk of side effects, and several major studies in the 1970s
suggest that there may be some very important benefits.

What
Lithium Does:

Lithium readily
forms salts that are used by the body in a number of functions.
Among those functions are

Helping
to control glucose metabolism

Regulating the production of serotonin

Dissolving excess uric acid in the blood and/or kidneys

Facilitate the transmission of messages over neurons

Affects
the way that salt is absorbed in the body

Assists
in the absorption of folate and Vitamin B12

Various dietary
studies suggest that most people get about 2 mgs of lithium
daily. It’s interesting to note that many of the
‘therapeutic’ spas of the 1800s and early 1900s featured mineral
waters and springs with high concentrations of lithium.
The effects of ‘taking the waters’ at those spas was to calm
anxiety and combat mania. While there’s no way of
evaluating whether or not the lithium in those waters was the
reason for the effectiveness of the treatment, some more recent
studies have had some extremely interesting results.

Health
Benefits of Lithium:

In one
Texas study (Schrauzer & Klippel, The relationship of tap water
and physiological levels of lithium to mental hospital admission
and homicide in Texas) reported in 1992, the researchers found a
correlation between admissions and readmissions of patients for
psychological episodes and the level of lithium in the drinking
water. This was borne out by further studies that extended
that to note statistically significant differences in violent
crime in counties with higher concentrations of lithium in the
water.

Following up on the discovery, the researchers conducted a
number of studies into the effects of low level lithium
supplementation in humans. In one placebo controlled
research project, 27 former drug users were given supplements of
brewers yeast tablets. The treatment group received yeast
tablets enriched with 400 mcg of lithium. The control group
received a placebo of non-enriched brewers’ yeast. Over
the course of the study, the treatment group demonstrated a
steady and statistically significant improvement in mood and
reduction of violent thoughts. After several other studies
confirmed the initial results, the authors concluded,

"lithium
at low dosage levels has a generally beneficial effect on human
behavior, which may be associated with the functions of lithium
as a nutritionally-essential trace element.”

Possible
Side Effects of Lithium:

While
lithium at therapeutic (pharmaceutical) dosages has considerable
side effects, there have been no noted side effects to
supplementation with lithium at very low doses – up to
approximately 2 mgs daily. Those levels are consistent
with the amount of lithium consumed by people living in areas
with soil and water naturally high in the trace element of
lithium.

It is
also important to balance any increased intake of lithium in the
body with an appropriate level of salt (NaCl, table salt) to
prevent symptoms of salt depletion.

Summary:

There is
no doubt that lithium is the single most effective treatment for
the manic phase of bipolar disorder, and anyone taking lithium
at levels prescribed for treatment of mania, bipolar disorder or
schizophrenia should be under the care of a physician.
Because the line between an effective dose and toxicity is
minute, it is vital that those taking dosages of lithium in the
range of 100 mgs and up should have regular blood tests to
determine the levels of lithium in their blood.

However,
regular supplementation with low levels (~2 mgs daily) has been
shown to be effective in regulating moods and reducing incidence
of anger, depression and suicidal thoughts in many who do not
fit the clinical profile of bipolar disorder. At those
levels – approximating a regular dietary intake of lithium in a
diet high in lithium rich foods – there are no reported side
effects, and a great deal of benefit.

Because
it is important to maintain a proper balance of nutrients when
supplementing the diet with lithium, we recommend taking a
supplement that contains trace amounts of lithium as part of a
synergistically balanced formula.